Mindy Kaling

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Mindy Kaling
Mindy Kaling at PaleyFest 2013's panel for The Mindy Project
Kaling at PaleyFest 2013's panel for The Mindy Project
Born
Vera Mindy Chokalingam

(1979-06-24) June 24, 1979 (age 44)
Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
EducationBuckingham Browne & Nichols
Alma materDartmouth College
Occupation(s)Actress, comedian, writer, producer, director
Years active2003–present
Known forThe Office
The Mindy Project
Websitetheconcernsofmindykaling.com

Vera Mindy Chokalingam (born June 24, 1979),[1][2] known professionally as Mindy Kaling, is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer widely known for creating and starring as Mindy Lahiri in the Fox sitcom The Mindy Project. She is also known for portraying Kelly Kapoor on the NBC sitcom, The Office, as well as being a co-executive producer, director, and writer on the show.[3]

Early life

Kaling was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts to a Tamil father named Avu Chokalingam, an architect,[4] and a Bengali mother named Dr. Swati Chokalingam (née Roysircar), an obstetrician/gynecologist.[5] Both of Kaling's parents are Hindus from India.[6] They met while they were both working at a hospital in Nigeria, Kaling's mom as an OBGYN and her father building a wing of the hospital.[7] The family emigrated in 1979, the same year Kaling was born.[3] Kaling's mother died of pancreatic cancer in 2012.[8][9][10] Kaling has an older brother, Vijay Chokalingam.[8]

Kaling graduated from Buckingham Browne & Nichols, a private school in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1997. The following year, she entered Dartmouth College, where she was a member of the improvisational comedy troupe "The Dog Day Players" and the a cappella group "The Rockapellas", creator of the comic strip "Badly Drawn Girl" in The Dartmouth (the college's daily newspaper), and a writer for the Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern (the college's humor magazine). Kaling graduated from Dartmouth in 2001[11] with a bachelors in Playwriting.[12] She was a Classics major for much of college, which meant she studied Latin—which she had taken since 7th grade.[7]

Career

While a 19 year old sophomore at Dartmouth, Kaling was an intern on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.[13] Kaling said she was a terrible intern, "less of a 'make copies' intern and more of a 'stalk Conan' intern."[13]

After college, Kaling moved to Brooklyn working as a baby sitter and then a production assistant for a cable-television psychic.[3] Kaling said one of her "worst job" experiences was as a production assistant for three months on the Crossing Over With John Edward psychic show.[14] Kaling said it was depressing.[15] During this same time, Kaling did stand-up in New York City.[2]

In 2003, Kaling portrayed Ben Affleck in an off Broadway play called Matt & Ben,[16] which she co-wrote with her best friend from college Brenda Withers—who played Matt Damon. The play was named one of Time magazine's "Top Ten Theatrical Events of The Year," was "a surprise hit" at the 2002 New York International Fringe Festival.[3] Initially, Withers and Kaling had, "for their own entertainment, mockingly pretend to be the best friends Matt Damon and Ben Affleck; that pretending spawned “Matt & Ben,” the goofy play that reimagined how Damon and Affleck came to write the movie Good Will Hunting."[3]

Kaling wrote a popular blog called “Things I’ve Bought That I Love",[3] which reemerged on her website on September 29, 2011.[17] The blog was written under the name Mindy Ephron "a name Kaling chose because she was amused by the idea of her 20-something Indian-American self as a long-lost Ephron sister."[3]

The Office

Kaling in 2008

In 2004, when The Office producer Greg Daniels was working to adapt The Office from the BBC show of the same name, he hired Kaling as a writer-performer after reading a spec script she wrote. "She’s very original," he said. "If anything feels phony or lazy or passé, she’ll pounce on it."[3]

When Kaling joined the The Office she was 24 years old and was the only woman on a staff of eight.[3] She took on the role of character Kelly Kapoor, debuting in the series’ second episode, "Diversity Day."[12] She has written at least 22 episodes,[3] including "Niagara," for which she was co-nominated for an Emmy with Greg Daniels. Kaling also wrote and directed the webisodes "Subtle Sexuality" in 2009. In a 2007 interview with The A.V. Club, Kaling stated that the Kelly character is "an exaggerated version of what I think the upper-level writers believe my personality is."[15] After the "Diwali" episode,[2] Kaling appeared with Daniels on NPR's Fresh Air.[18]

Kaling directed The Office webisodes The 3rd Floor.[19] She also directed the season 6 episode titled "Body Language," which marked her television directorial debut. Kaling's contract was set to expire at the end of Season 7. On September 15, 2011, she signed a new contract to stay with the show for Season 8, and was promoted to full Executive Producer status.[20] Her Universal Television contract included a development deal for a new show (eventually titled The Mindy Project), in which she appears as an actor and contributes as a writer.[3]

Kaling and her fellow writers and producers of The Office were nominated five consecutive times for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. In 2010, she received a nomination for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series with Greg Daniels for the episode, "Niagara".[21]

The Mindy Project

In 2012, Kaling pitched a single-camera comedy[22] to Fox called The Mindy Project, which was written and produced by Kaling.[23] Fox began airing the series Tuesdays at 9:30 Eastern Time starting in 2012.

In her first starring role, Kaling has said that she is often forced to feel exceptional for how she looks: "I often forget that ... being Indian, an Indian-American woman who is not, sort of, pencil thin — that that is very new to broadcast television."[24] "I don't think anyone wants to grow up to be Mindy Lahiri, the same way no one wants to grow up to be Michael Scott [Steve Carell's character on The Office]. But that's OK. ... My dream of course, as a writer and a person who's an entertainer, is: Grow up to be Mindy Kaling, don't grow up to be Mindy Lahiri."[24]

Other work

Acting

Kaling's TV appearances include a 2005 episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, playing Richard Lewis's assistant. She is featured on the CD Comedy Death-Ray and guest-wrote an episode of Saturday Night Live in April 2006.[12][15]

After her film debut in The 40-Year-Old Virgin with Steve Carell, Kaling also made an appearance in the film Unaccompanied Minors as a waitress. In 2007 she held a small part in License to Wed starring fellow The Office actors John Krasinski, Angela Kinsey, and Brian Baumgartner. Kaling was in the 2009 film Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian as a Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum tour guide and voiced Taffyta Muttonfudge in Disney's animated comedy film, Wreck-It Ralph. In 2011 she played the role of Shira, a doctor who is a roommate and colleague of the main character Emma (played by Natalie Portman) in No Strings Attached. Kaling also made an appearance as Vanetha in The Five-Year Engagement (2012).

Writing

In 2011, Kaling published a humorous memoir, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns).[25][26]

Personal life

"I had a slightly different upbringing than my other friends and classmates whose parents were Indian immigrants. The reason is because my parents didn't meet in India, they met in Africa. This is relevant because they are from vastly different parts of India. My dad is Tamil, born and raised in Madras, and my mother is Bengali, and was raised mostly in Mumbai. As they would characterize it, it's like a man from the deep south married a woman from Manhattan. Very different culturally. Dad speaks Tamil and English, and Mom speaks Bengali, Hindi and English. So English was their only common language. I was not raised speaking an Indian dialect. My parents adopted a kind of Boston-by-way-of-India-by-way-of-Nigeria culture with some Indian flourishes: Christmas dinner cooked in the traditional American style but with shrimp curry where all we do is talk about the Celtics."

"Mindy Kaling Visits Jezebel, Takes Your Questions," 12 December 2011[6]

Kaling has said she has never been called Vera, her first name,[14] but has been referred to as Mindy since her mother was pregnant with her while her parents were living in Nigeria. They were already planning to move to the United States and wanted, Kaling said, a "cute American name" for their daughter, and liked the name Mindy from the TV show Mork & Mindy. The name Vera is, according to Kaling, the name of the "incarnation of a Hindu goddess."[14]

When Kaling started doing stand-up, the emcees could never pronounce her surname, Chokalingam, so they made fun of it. Eventually she changed it to Kaling.[2] She stopped doing stand-up because it required a lot more time than she had. She toured solo as well as with Craig Robinson before he was on The Office.[7]

Kaling said that she never saw a family like hers on TV, which gave her a dual perspective she uses in her writing.[2] The "everyone against me mentality" is what she thinks she learned as a child of immigrants.[2]

As far as comics she admires, Kaling loves Dana Carvey, especially from his Saturday Night Live days.[7]

Kaling considers herself Hindu.[6]

In 2008, Kaling was dating author, Benjamin Nugent.[27] As of 2011, Kaling was dating "a web analyst and improv actor named David Harris."[3] Previously, she dated The Office co-worker, B.J. Novak. She lives in West Hollywood, California.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2005 The 40 Year Old Virgin Amy Film debut
2006 Unaccompanied Minors Restaurant Hostess
2007 License to Wed Shelly
2009 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Docent
2010 Despicable Me Tourist Mom Voice
2011 No Strings Attached Shira
2012 The Five-Year Engagement Vaneetha
2012 Wreck-It Ralph Taffyta Muttonfudge Voice
2013 This Is the End Herself
2015 Inside Out Disgust Voice, Filming

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2005 Curb Your Enthusiasm Richard Lewis's Assistant Episode: "Lewis Needs a Kidney"
2005–2013 The Office Kelly Kapoor Main Role (Seasons 1–8) / Special Guest Star (Season 9); 174 episodes / also in webseries
2012–present The Mindy Project Mindy Lahiri Lead Role

The Office writing

  1. "Hot Girl" (April 26, 2005) – Season 1
  2. "The Dundies" (September 20, 2005) – Season 2
  3. "The Injury" (January 12, 2006) – Season 2
  4. "Take Your Daughter to Work Day" (March 16, 2006) – Season 2
  5. "Diwali" (November 2, 2006) – Season 3
  6. "Ben Franklin" (February 1, 2007) – Season 3
  7. "Branch Wars" (November 1, 2007) – Season 4
  8. "Night Out" (April 24, 2008) – Season 4
  9. "Frame Toby" (November 20, 2008) – Season 5
  10. "Lecture Circuit: Part 1" (February 5, 2009) – Season 5
  11. "Lecture Circuit: Part 2" (February 12, 2009) – Season 5
  12. "Golden Ticket" (March 12, 2009) – Season 5
  13. "Niagara" co-written with Greg Daniels (October 8, 2009) – Season 6
  14. "Secret Santa" (December 10, 2009) – Season 6
  15. "The Manager and the Salesman" (February 11, 2010) – Season 6
  16. "Secretary's Day" (April 22, 2010) – Season 6
  17. "The Sting" (October 21, 2010) – Season 7
  18. "Classy Christmas" (December 9, 2010) – Season 7
  19. "Michael's Last Dundies" (April 21, 2011) – Season 7
  20. "Christmas Wishes" (December 9, 2011) – Season 8
  21. "Test the Store" (March 9, 2012) – Season 8

The Office directing

  1. "Body Language" (April 29, 2010) – Season 6
  2. "Michael's Last Dundies" (April 21, 2011) – Season 7

Awards and nominations

In 2013, Entertainment Weekly identified Kaling as one of the "50 Coolest and Most Creative Entertainers" in Hollywood.[28] In the same year, Kaling was recognized by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.[21]

Year Group Award Status Film/Television series
2005 Writers Guild of America Awards New Series Nominated The Office
Comedy Series Nominated
2006 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Won
New Series Comedy Series Won
2007 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Comedy Series Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Won
New Series Episodic Comedy – for episode Local Ad Nominated
Comedy Series Nominated
Asian Excellence Awards Supporting Television Actress Won
2008 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Comedy Series Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated
New Series Comedy Series Nominated
2009 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Comedy Series Nominated
Prism Awards Performance in a Comedy Series Nominated
2010 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Comedy Series Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series, "Niagara" Nominated
2012 Writers Guild of America Awards New Series Nominated The Mindy Project
Peoples Choice Awards Favorite New TV Comedy Nominated
Critics' Choice Television Awards Most Exciting New Series Won
2013 Gracie Awards Outstanding Producer - Entertainment Won
NAACP Image Award Outstanding Comedy Series Nominated
TCA Awards Outstanding New Program Nominated
Teen Choice Awards Choice TV: Breakout Show Nominated
Choice TV Actress: Comedy Nominated
2014 Gracie Awards Outstanding Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Won
NAACP Image Award Outstanding Comedy Series Nominated
TCA Awards Outstanding Achievement in Comedy[29] Nominated
TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy[29] Nominated
2015 Satellite Awards Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series Pending

Works and publications

See also

References

  1. ^ "Vera M Chokalingam - United States Public Records". FamilySearch. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Ulaby, Neda (4 February 2009). "On TV, Immigrants' Kids Mine Cultural Convergence". Morning Edition. NPR. Retrieved 25 February 2013.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Sittenfeld, Curtis (25 September 2011). "A Long Day at 'The Office' With Mindy Kaling". The New York Times. Sunday Magazine. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  4. ^ Kaling, Mindy (3 October 2011). "Flick Chicks: A guide to women in the movies". The New Yorker. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  5. ^ Rodman, Sarah (25 September 2012). "Mindy Kaling's mother inspired new TV 'Project'". Boston Globe. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  6. ^ a b c Coen, Jessica (12 December 2011). "Mindy Kaling Visits Jezebel, Takes Your Questions". Jezebel. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  7. ^ a b c d Maron, Marc (12 March 2012). "Episode 261 - Mindy Kaling" (Audio podcast). WTF with Marc Maron. Retrieved 29 January 2015.
  8. ^ a b "Swati Chokalingam M.D.: Obituary". The Boston Globe. 2 February 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  9. ^ "Swati Chokalingam - United States Social Security Death Index". FamilySearch. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  10. ^ Cosgrove Baylis, Shelia (12 November 2013). "Mindy Kaling: My Late Mom 'Was the Love of My Life'". People. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
  11. ^ Dartmouth Staff (10 June 2001). "List of Graduates". The Dartmouth. Retrieved 28 January 2015. As "Vera Chokalingam"
  12. ^ a b c Swiss, Zach (23 May 2006). "Kaling '01 embarks on acting, writing career for 'The Office'". The Dartmouth. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  13. ^ a b O'Brien, Conan (7 November 2012). "Mindy Kaling Was A Conan Intern - CONAN on TBS" (Video interview). YouTube. Team Coco. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  14. ^ a b c Soroff, Jonathan. "Mindy Kaling interview in Improper Bostonian". The Improper Bostonian. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  15. ^ a b c Phipps, Keith (4 April 2007). "Mindy Kaling - Interview". A.V. Club. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  16. ^ Weber, Bruce (12 August 2003). "Theater Review; Bad Will Hunting, Armed With Venom Darts". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  17. ^ Kaling, Mindy (27 January 2012). "Ongoing Concerns". The Concerns of Mindy Kaling. Archived from the original (Blog) on 6 March 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  18. ^ Gross, Terry (2 November 2006). "Writing 'The Office'". Fresh Air. NPR. Retrieved 1 December 2008.
  19. ^ "The Office Webisodes: The 3rd Floor". OfficeTally.com. 5 November 2010. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  20. ^ Ausiello, Michael (15 September 2011). "Scoop: Mindy Kaling Gets Major Office Promotion — But There's a Twist!". TVLine.
  21. ^ a b Helms, Ed (13 April 2013). "The 2013 Time 100 - Mindy Kaling: Comedian and creator, 33". Time.
  22. ^ Soroff, Jonathan (2013). "Mindy Kaling: The star of The Mindy Project tells us about stereotypes and being a smart girl in Hollywood". The Improper Bostonian. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  23. ^ Ty, Kanara (1 February 2012). "Fox picks up Mindy Kaling pilot". Asia Pacific Arts.
  24. ^ a b Martin, Rachel (16 October 2014). "Mindy Kaling On Refusing To Be An Outsider And Sexism On Set" (Audio interview). Morning Edition. NPR. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  25. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (22 April 2010). "After 'Office' Hours, Mindy Kaling Writes a Book". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  26. ^ Chaney, Jen (18 November 2011). "Review: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)". The Washington Post.
  27. ^ Schoeneman, Deborah (13 April 2008). "A Night Out with Mindy Kaling: After Office Hours". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  28. ^ EW Staff (31 July 2013). "This Week's Cover: The New Hollywood starring Mindy Kaling". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  29. ^ a b Slezak, Michael (27 May 2014). "TCA Awards 2014: True Detective Snags Four Nominations; Good Wife, Breaking Bad Land Three Each". TVLine. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  30. ^ Kaling, Mindy (18 December 2009). "Unbelievable Holiday Tales: Scripting a Fantasy of a Family". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 January 2015.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mindy Kaling.

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